Overview
- A 15-kilolitre reactor at SynZeal Pharmachem in the Saykha GIDC industrial estate exploded during a hydrogenation process late Friday night, ripping the tank apart and scattering debris beyond the premises.
- Five workers were killed and five to six others were reported injured; the bodies were taken to Bharuch Civil Hospital and the injured were moved to hospitals in Bharuch and Vadodara for treatment.
- The blast triggered a leak of methylene dichloride, a volatile solvent that left the site hazy and caused eye irritation and illness among people on site.
- Police, fire crews, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health carried out rescue work at the scene and have opened formal probes into the cause and compliance with safety norms.
- SynZeal began operations at Saykha less than a year ago with about 53 employees, and investigators will examine equipment, procedures and staff training to determine whether operational faults or lapses contributed to the accident.